Pacific Power drop box pried open

Tuesday

Jul 30, 2013 at 4:27 PM

By Ami RidlingDaily News Staff Writer

YREKA – The Pacific Power payment drop box on South Main Street in Yreka was recently tampered with, and any payments that may have been in the box were stolen, stated company spokesperson Jan Mitchell.

She wishes to alert any customers who may have left a payment in the drop box between Friday morning, July 19, and Monday morning, July 22. The drop box was pried open during that time.

“We are very concerned that the security of our customer information may have been compromised,” stated Mitchell. “We do not have the specific information on which customers may have used the drop box last weekend, and therefore we can’t proactively notify the impacted customers that their checks may have been stolen.”

Based on typical usage, there could have been as many as 10 envelopes in the drop box over that time frame, Mitchell estimated. There were no envelopes recovered when the damaged drop box was discovered the morning of July 22.

The maximum time it typically takes for a payment to post to a customer account is around one week, so most envelopes left at the drop box should have been processed by now, said Mitchell.

She said the drop box is now sealed off and out of service. Pacific Power has yet to determine whether to repair or remove it. The Yreka Police Department has been notified. “While we don’t know the extent of the impact, Pacific Power is working with local law enforcement and will take all measures to prosecute the thieves to the full extent of the law,” stated Mitchell.

Pacific Power encourages anyone who may have used the drop box to deposit a payment during that timeframe to call toll-free at 1-888-221-7070. Personnel will be able to confirm whether a payment has been processed.